12-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS AND VIEWS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

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1 12-YEAR-OLD STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS AND VIEWS ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS Neva Rebolj 1 and Iztok Devetak 2 1Tone Okrogar Primary school, Zagorje ob Savi, Slovenia 2University of Ljubljana, Faculty of education, Department of Biology, Chemistry and Home Economics, Ljubljana, Slovenia Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine, where students gather information about the environmental problems and how students participate in activities of the different Eco projects in Slovenia. The level of the Slovenian students' concern about environmental problems was determined. It was also described which problems seem the most important globally for 12-year-olds and what are their attitudes towards the environment th -grade elementary school (aged 12) students participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire which referred to current environmental problems and students relationship to the environment. The results show that students obtain most of the information about the environment in the school and the least from discussion with friends. Only ¼ of the students participate in the activities of the Eco projects. Students are the most concerned about the droughts and floods and the least concerned about acid rain. According to students, our planets biggest problem is the pollution of water and sea, while acid rain does not present a big problem to the 12-year-olds. Students showed positive attitudes towards the environment, as they always close the water while brushing their teeth and separate waste while they rarely discuss about environmental issues with others. From the results we can conclude that students have a fairly positive attitude towards the environment, which is undoubtedly the result of formal elementary school courses, but according to the findings students do not understand serious environmental problems and they are somehow stuck in the e.g. acid rain problem that does not poses a great danger anymore, but in the traditional science curriculums in Slovenia is still strongly present. Informal environmental organizations which, through their activities try to contribute to the environmentally competent young people have according to the conclusions in this research low impact on the 12-year-olds. Key words: environmental problems, environmental competencies, attitudes towards environment, 12-year-old students. BACKGROUND AND FRAMEWORK Attitude is a mental state of readiness that influences the individuals response to everything it is related to (Allport, 1935). Schultz and Zelezny (2000) say that the attitude of concern for the environment originates from individual s concept of self and from the degree of perceiving himself as a fundamental part of natural environment. Behaviour is what people do, if it is environmentally appropriate or not (Hernandez & Monroe, 2000). Behaviour is generally supported by the knowledge and attitude, but the direct connection from knowledge to attitude and on to the behaviour does not always exist (Monroe, Day, & Grieser, 2000). It is necessary to start developing positive attitudes and values towards the environment in early childhood, because the patterns of behaviour in later years only strengthen and develop further. This results in a positively oriented environmental behaviour of the individual and society, which leads to a sense of responsibility and care for the environment while at the

2 same time these behavioural patterns are transmitted to subsequent generations. The central challenge of environmental education is how to encourage children and develop their sense of relationship to the environment, which in adulthood leads to positive environmental management (Littledyke, 2008). Therefore, understanding of the environment is associated with love and respect for nature with a sense for living creatures, which can lead to motivation for action and the sense of responsibility and concern for the protection of the environment (Gilligan 1982, Noddings 1984; Juujarvi 2006). The emotional area of the curriculum was recognized as an important aspect of learning (Gardner 1983, 1993; Goleman, 1996; Morgan 1997; Kelly 2004; Lee 2005, Cree 2006), as numerous studies on the emotional domain in science education were conducted in this area, especially regarding attitudes towards science and their impact on learning (Crawley and Koballa 1994; Simpson et al., 1994; Stone and Glascott 1997; Kupermintz 1997; Laforgia, 1988; André et al., 1999; Francis and Greer, 1999; Thompson and Mintzes 1999, Alsop and Watts, 2000; Southerland et al., 2000; Abell 2005, Waters-Adams, 2006). Emotional domain is important in environmental education, because it promotes a positive attitude towards the environment (Iozzi 1989a, b; Caro et al. 1994). A few studies have been made, where they studied the link between science, environmental education and the promotion of positive attitudes towards the environment (Yount and Horton 1992; Gurevitz 2002). It is well known that individuals, who are well educated and develop concerned environment view, also behave responsibly regarding the environment (Mobley, Vagias, & DeWard, 2010). Many researchers agree that knowledge in itself will not motivate individuals to adopt a new behaviour (Schultz, 2002; Stern, 2000) and it is clear that the lack of knowledge may present a barrier for behavioural changes (Schultz, 2002; DeYoung, 2000). However, knowledge is not the only thing that affects the environmentally aware individuals but there is also a combination of awareness, attitudes, values and social, cultural and psychological factors. A certain part of attitudes and values certainly does begin to develop in school and as Marentič-Požarnik says (2009): "Development of attitudes, values and beliefs that support sustainable development, is one of the important goals of environmental education and education for sustainable development.«the problem, which occurs in the early years of primary education, is definitely too extensive frontal teaching that only expands in higher grades. It is well known that students learn the material by heart, without deeper understanding and connecting concepts with each other. It is also important to emphasise that some curricula are overwhelmed with the definitions and information that students need to know but its understanding is often neglected (Lane, & Wilke, 1994; debettencourt, & McCrea, 2000). Azizan (2008) says that pupils have a good awareness of environmental issues, but in practice their attitude and behaviour has not changed yet. These results of the study were also supported by Wahid et al (2004), who state that the awareness of the society about environmental issues and awareness of the need to preserve the environment has increased, but the level of activity involved in environmental protection is still at a low level. The main goal of environmental education is to gain awareness of individuals and establish a conscious interaction with the environment which influences the development of a critical perspective and let the future generations enjoy a healthy and clean environment (Doğan, 1997). Palmer (1998) points out that pupils should acquire appropriate level of knowledge and understanding of the concepts related to the environment in order to achieve a critical judgement. In addition it would be necessary that the experiences and thinking would be focused on environmentally focused knowledge and lead to the appropriate development of attitude and awareness towards the environment. These three components, attitude, knowledge and awareness, play an important role for students regarding the impact on the time they spend inside and outside of the classroom. According to the North American Association of Environmental Educators (NAAEE) the level of awareness is an important goal of environmental education from kindergarten to third grade, the level of knowledge is

3 an important goal in the third through ninth grade and the degree of relationship is important throughout the entire educational career. Knowledge, caring attitude and practical competence are the basis for ecological literacy (Orr, 1990). If individual acknowledges the existence of environmental problem, it means that he is aware of the state of the environment and in this degree of environmental awareness he is bound to solve the environmental problems (Madsen, 1996). Rationale and Purpose It often happens that the most important issues, such as environmental problems, are relegated to the background because there is simply not enough time for interpretation. The analysis of the Slovenian science curricula in the 6 th and 7 th grade showed that out of the four science thematic set only one directly refers to the environmental problems. 6 th grade students learn about the importance of efficient use of natural resources, raw materials and waste management, but 7 th graders learn how humans can change the ecosystems and what the consequences of such activities are. Four basic research questions were set based on the literature and curriculum analysis: (1) Where and how 12-year-old students gather information about the environment and its protection in Slovenian context? (2) How many and how 12-year-old students participate in activities of the Eco school project or other Eco projects in Slovenia? (3) How 12-year-old students perceive environmental problems locally and globally? (4) What is the 12-year-old students attitude towards the environment and environmental problems? METHOD th grade elementary school students participated in the study. Girls presented 50.3 % of the sample and boys presented 49.7 %. The students age was 12 years. Students were randomly selected. At science course in 6 th grade 218 students (37 %) achieved excellent grades (5), 164 students (27.8 %) achieved very good grades (4), 120 students (20.4 %) good grades (3) and 62 students (10.5%) sufficient grades (2). 24 students (4,1 %) did not reveal their achievements. Data were collected through quantitative data collection techniques using a questionnaire. The questionnaire included 11 closed-ended questions, 2 open-ended questions and 5 items where students expressed their attitude, agreement and concern about the environment and environmental problems on five point Likert scale. The questionnaire also included basic demographic items. Questionnaires measuring characteristics were satisfactory (i.e. objectivity provided in terms of performance of the study and evaluation of responses; validity -items comprise topics relevant for the study and students prior education; and reliability - Chronbach alpha was 0.916). The study used the descriptive method of educational research. Students needed an average of 10 minutes to complete the questionnaire. The questionnaire was anonymous and the data will be used solely for research purposes. The data were statistically analyzed using the SPSS program.

4 RESULTS Only 28.1% of students participate in the Eco school projects or other projects, which is not very commendable (Table 1). The reasons why they are not actively involved in these projects could be sought in school, because the school might not give the incentive for such activities or in a family where they do not pay enough attention to the protection of the environment. Table 1 Participation in Eco School Project or Other Projects Answer Percent (%) Participate in Eco school project or other projects 28.1 Do not participate in Eco school project or other projects 71.9 Students obtain most information about environment and its protection in school (almost 55%), which is very commendable, as it can be concluded, that students discuss this topic in the school (Table 2). The fact that they obtain only 12% of the information from their family is a bit worrying, as it shows that either the family is not environmentally oriented or that the parents do not have enough knowledge to educate their children about environment and its protection. Table 2 Obtaining Information About the Environment and Its protection Answer Percent (%) School 53.8 Television 39.7 Internet 37.0 Newspapers, magazines, books 34.6 Family 11.9 Friends 6.3 Students are concerned or very concerned about droughts and floods (62.3%), the deforestation (62%) and water pollution (61.2%) (Table 3). It is important to emphasise, that students are the least concerned about the greenhouse effect (38.8%) and acid rain (37.5%). There are no statistically important differences in the level of the concern between those students that obtain information in school and those who do not.

5 Table 3 Students Concern About Environmental Problems and the Difference Between Students That Obtain Information in School and Those Who Do Not Environmental problems Concerned and very concerned students (%) Information obtained in school N M SD F Sig. Droughts and floods 62.3 Deforestation 62 Water pollution 61.2 Pesticides in food 59.4 Nuclear power plants, nuclear waste 56 Air pollution 54.2 Genetically modified food 52.9 No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes Dietary supplements such as dyes, preservatives No Yes Greenhouse effect 38.8 Acid rain 37.5 No Yes No Yes According to the students opinion water and sea pollution (68.3%) and deforestation (64.3%) are our planets biggest problems. The greenhouse effect (43.8%) and acid raid (43.3%) present less of a problem for our planet by the students opinion (Table 4). There are no statistically important differences in students' opinion about the global magnitude of the problem between students that obtain information in school and those who do not.

6 Table 4 Students Opinion About Earths Biggest Environmental Problem and the Difference Between Students That Obtain Information in School and Those Who Do Not Environmental problems Water and sea pollution Students' opinion about the global magnitude of the problem (%) 68.3 Information obtained in school N M SD F Sig. No Yes Deforestation 64.3 Ozone depletion 63.8 No Yes No Yes Pesticides and other chemicals in food Management of radioactive waste No Yes No Yes Greenhouse effect 43.8 Acid rain 43.3 No Yes No Yes Students have shown positive attitudes towards the environment, because they always conserve the water as they close it while brushing their teeth (76.9%), separate the waste (75.9%) and turn off the lights and electronic devices, while they are no longer in use (74.4%) (Table 5). Results may be due to the increased ecological awareness because of the science or technical days, as there is at least one such day per year and other school activities. Students rarely discuss about the environment and environmental problems with others (25.8%) and even more rarely first decide what they will take out of the fridge before they open it (19.2%). There are no statistically important differences in students' positive attitude towards the environment with the exception of the last two items.

7 Table 5 Students' Attitude Towards the Environment and the Difference Between Students That Obtain Information in School and Those Who Do Not Statements of positive attitude towards the environment I'm trying to save water, as I always close it while brushing my teeth. Students' positive attitude towards the environment (%) 76.9 Information obtained in school N M SD F Sig. No Yes I separate the waste No Yes I turn off the lights and electronic devices that are not in use. If I can choose between showering and bathing, I'd rather choose showering. I walk, ride with a bicycle or use public transport instead of my parents driving me around with a car. I pick up trash lying on the floor. I consider the negative impact of the product on the environment before parents buy it for me. I read articles or watch TV shows about environmental problems. I use paper bags instead of plastic ones. I discuss about the environment and environmental problems with others. I first decide what I will take out of the fridge before I open it No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes No Yes

8 DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Environmental education is essentially of cross-curricular nature, the knowledge of science has an important role in the development of understanding of the scientific principles underlying the environmental issues. Research shows that the attitude towards science is becoming worse in later years of schooling (Moheno 1993; Koballa 1995, Hassan and Fisher 2005), this can be the cause for less students deciding to study science (Holton 1992; Swindell et al. 2003). Results show, that most of the students gather information about the environment and its protection in school. From the results we can conclude that students have a fairly positive attitude towards the environment, which is undoubtedly the result of formal elementary school courses, but according to the findings students do not understand serious environmental problems and they are somehow stuck in the e.g. acid rain problem that does not poses a great danger anymore, but in the traditional science curriculums in Slovenia is still strongly present. Results also show that students understand what to do to preserve the environment, but they do not connect these actions to actual local and global environmental problems. Informal environmental organizations which, through their activities try to contribute to the environmentally competent young people have according to the conclusions in this research low impact on the 12-year-olds. In general there are no statistically important differences between students who obtain information about environment in the school and those who do not, with exception of the last two items because they get some information outside of the school which are more useful in everyday life. In a critical review of 34 researches about the environmental education that were published between 1974 and 1993, where most were focused on the changes in knowledge, attitude or in some cases both, Leeming, Dwyer, Porter and Cobern (1993) established that only 5 of them determined a change in behaviour about which the authors expressed a regret, because to preserve the quality of the environment a change in behaviour is needed. The results of the studies showed that the relationship between knowledge, awareness and attitude towards the environment was statistically significant. This shows that there is a connection between elements of knowledge, consciousness and views, which are important in changing pupils' behaviour towards the environment (Arbaat, Norshariani, Sharifah Intan, 2010). For the following researches would be good, if we would be focused on differences in environmental attitudes between men and women, because many studies have shown the significant differences between them in environmental attitudes (Brown and Harris, 1992; Tikka et al. 2000). REFERENCES Abell, S.K. (2005). University science teachers as researchers: Blurring the scholarship boundaries. Research in Science Education, 35, Alsop, S. & Watts, M. (2000). Facts and feelings: Exploring the affective domain in the learning of physics. Physics Education, 35, Allport, G.W. (1935). Attitudes. In a handbook of social psychology. Worcester, MA: Clark University Press. André, T., Whigham, M., Hendrickson, A. & Chambers, S. (1999). Competency beliefs, positive affect, and gender stereotypes of elementary students and their parents about science versus other school subjects. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36,

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